Slide fastener operating device



March 14, 1961 l. E. ERRlcK 2,974,991

SLIDE FASTENER OPERATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1957 INVENTOR Fla 4Lidore.,. Garrick.

ATTCR N EYS United States Patent SLIDE FASTENER OPERATING DEVICE"Isidore E. Gerrick, Mayflower Hotel, 61st St. and Central Park W est,New York, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 680,576

3 Claims. '(Cl. 294-1) The present invention relates to slide fasteneroperating means of the type designed more especially for closing andopening slide fasteners on womens wear such as girdles, dresses andbathing suits, where the slide fastener, ordinarily extending along mostor the full length of the trunk, is relatively inaccessible foroperation by the average wearer and its manipulation frequently requiresthe assistance of another person.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a slide fasteneroperating means, which may rele-asably be clipped to the pull tab of theoperating slide of such slide fastener and may so be clipped in placereadily by the user, generally at the back of the neck or at the armpit, by hand engagement and without visual aid.

Another object is to providea slide fastener operating means of theabove type which is of rugged yet relatively inexpensive construction,and which inherently affords engagement with respect to the pull tab ofthe slide, so secure as not to come loose under the tension or draftapplied in closing or opening the slide fastener though the pull bedirected obliquely and not along the slide fastener, and is useful evenin garments such as girdles where rather substantial pull may berequired for operation.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possibleembodiments of the several features of the invention: I I

Fig. l is a perspective view of the slide fastener operating device, f

Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale in longitudinal cross section, takenon line 2-2 of Fig. 1, l

of which may be of greatest width near the middle of their lengths, oneof said arms, preferably arm 21 to Y which the draft member isconnected, having widened extensions 25 (which may be semi-circular),,near their middles, which overlap the side flanges 24 of the companionarm 22. The two arms are hinged together at According to one feature ofthe invention, a guide and guard sleeve 30 is brazed or welded at itsbottom 31,- as shown in Fig. 2, against the under face of the forwardend of the arm 21 and its sides 32 flank the sides of the arms 21 and 22and the top 33 of the guide and guard sleeve 30 extends well beyond thearm 22 to afford clearance for opening the clip by finger pressureagainst the cupped ends 28.

The major part of the width of the guide and guard sleeve 30 encompassesthe forward ends of the clip arms 21 and 22. Preferably, as shown, theforward ends of the clip arms 21 and 22 are bent substantially at rightangles to the lengths thereof to form holder jaws 34 and 35,respectively, which desirably do not protrude beyond the guard sleeveand preferably extend substantially flush with and in the plane of'theouter end of the guide and guard sleeve 30, as shown; 1

According to one feature of the invention, the clip is made to coactwith the conventional rectangular opening 36 in the pull tab F of theusual slide of a slide I fastener. To this end the edge of the inturnedholder jaw 35 has a median tongue 37, extending outward in the planethereof and coacting with a corresponding medi-- an notch 38 in the edgeof the other holder jaw 34,

as shown. By this arrangement the tongue may extend through therectangular opening 36 in the pull tab F of the slide and enter thenotch 38 in the holder jaw 34, all

the forward end of the view shown in Fig. 2, indicating the engagement.of the clip of the operating device with the conventional slidepull-tabv of aslide fastener,

Fig.4 is a view in longitudinal cross-section, taken on line 44 of Fig.3,

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

'Fig. 6 is a perspective'view'illustrating the mode of use of the devicein closing a relatively inaccessible slide fastener.v I

Referring now to the drawings, the slide fastener comprises a flexibledraft member, illustratively a chain 16, of familiar type, which per sohas no novelty. The outer end of the chain may have a ball or otherfinger grip portion 11 by which it may be grasped for pulling.

While the flexible draft or pull member or chain may be anchored to theclip member 20 by any suitable means, by which in turn releasableconnection is made to the slide fastener, its extremity isillustratively shown accommodated in a sleeve 12 rolled over from anextension integral with and extending rearwardly of the clip 1 I pletelyto close the slide fastener. Thereupon thewearei;

' shown in- Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and enters into notch 38. p

With the slide fastener operator thus attachedijand pending from pulltab F, the garment may be put orifb y the wearer, the chain or pullmember 10 may befreadilyj I as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

The clip thusefiects a secure interlock with the slide pull tab F at therectangular opening 36 in manner to permit a slight hinging movement ofthe clip relative to the pull tab in applying draft for closing oropening the h h K 7 To, this end, stop means are desirably j provided,to limit theclosing movement of the clipjZfl slide fastenen,

and to preoludeclamping of the edges of the holder jaws 34 and 35 witheach other, achieved by forming the'flanges 23 and 24 near the' forwardends of the arms 21,,and 22, each with a pair of teeth 40 integraltherewith and in the plane thereof and thus extending at right angles tothe clip arms. Said, teeth intermesh in closed position of the clip toafford l the desired spacing of the jaws 34 and 35 inclosed posi; tion.1

- By the construction set forth, the clip may easily'be. applied to thepull-tab of the slide by pressing the'clip 20 open, passing it over thepull tab F, for the median tongue 37 directly to pass through-theaperture 36 in the pull tab, or alternatively the pull t-ab handle may;

be pushed for a substantial distance inwardly between the open jaws 34and 35, the same maybe closed about the pull tab and the clip be pulledoutward until'th e'.

median tongue 37. snaps through the aperture 36, ajs

grasped near'its outer end-and pulled upwardly,*ccm

Patented Mar. 14, 1961 Desirably this result is; '2

may readily grip the handle end of the clip and press the jaws apart byfinger pressure against cups 28, so that the pull tab F becomesdisengaged and the instrument is removed. I I

To open the slide fastener, the wearer may readily grasp the pull tab F,either at the back of the neck or at the arm pit, as the case may be,and readily introduce it between the jaws 34 and 35 of the clip, whichthe wearer presses open in doing so. The guide and guard sleeve 30 aidsin readily positioning the slide pull tab by touch, since there is novisual guidance. She then releases the pressure on the clip and uponpulling thereon slightly, or if desired on the draft member, the clipwill reliably snap in place for its median tongue 37 to pass through theslot 36 in the pull tab F for secure intermesh with notch 38. Thereupona pull downward on the free end of the draft member or chain will causethe slide to be moved downward for opening the slide fastener.

In the operation of closing and opening the slide fastener, the securityof connection with respect to the pull tab is thoroughly reliable, sothat the clip will not become loose even though the slide fastener (asfor instance in the case of many girdles), can be operated only underrather substantial pulling force. For the pull tab is not clamped by theclip, but rests at its aperture 36 freely between the jaws of the clip20 and the clip may pivot slightly in the course of tension by movementof the median tongue 37 in the slot 36. By this arrangement the pullwill be effectively applied even though the direction of pull on thedraft member or chain is not exactly aligned with the length of theslide fastener or its pull tab.

While the invention has been designed especially for operating slidefasteners in inaccessible position on ladies garments such as dresses,girdles and bathing suits, it is by no means limited to such applicationbut may be used for operation of slide fasteners on luggage, garmentbags, sleeping car curtains or in any relation where a slide fastener isdifiicult to operate, either by reason of inaccessibility or of greatlength.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanyingdrawings, shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a slide fastener operating device of'the type comprising anelongated draft member having a clip secured at one end thereof forreleasable pull-engagement with the conventional slide pull tab of aslide fastener with a slot therethrough, spaced from the entireperiphery of the pull tab; the combination in which the clip comprises apair of coacting arm members, hinging means therefor extendingtransversely therebetween and spaced from the ends of said arms, springmeans between the rear parts of said arm members, urging said rear partsoutwardly about the hinging means, one of said arms having one end ofthe draft member connected to one end thereof, said arm having a guardsleeve rigidly affixed to the forward end portion thereof, said guardmember being a generally rectangular sleeve, rigidly attached to the forward end portion of the arm and encompassing the forward ends of botharms, and of height greater than the clip when open, the forward ends ofsaid arms having inturned coacting holder means integral therewith andencompassed by said sleeve, said coacting holder means having twocoacting elements, one with a small median tongue integral therewith topass through the slot in the pull tab, the other with a notch toaccommodate said tongue.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the coacting holder meansare inturned substantially at right angles to the length of the arms andextend substantially flush with the outer end of the guard sleeve and inwhich a small median tongue integral with the inturned portion of one ofthe holder means extends outward in substantially the plane thereof andin registry with a corresponding median notch in the companion holdermeans, and in which means integral with the side edges of said armsextend at right angles thereto near the sides of said guard frame andintermesh to space the holder means from each other under the pressureof said spring means, thereby substantially to avoid gripping pressureagainst and to afford a releasable pivot hold at the small median tonguethrough the conventional aperture of the slide pull tab of a slidefastener.

3. A clip of the character described, comprising clip arm members havinglateral flanges, a pivot pin extending transversely substantially midwaybetween the lengths of and through said lateral flanges, each of saidarms having an integral cup conformation near the rear end thereof, acoil spring between said cup conformations and urging the rear ends ofsaid arms apart about said pivot pin, the forward ends of said armsbeing inturned toward each other, one of said inturned ends having amedian tongue substantially in the plane thereof, the other of saidinturned ends having a notch to accommodate said tongue, said flangeshaving intermeshing lateral teeth near said forward ends to limit theclosing movement of said forward inturned ends, one of said arms havinga guard member mounted thereon, said guard member being agenerally'rectangular sleeve, rigidly attached to the forward endportion of the arms and encompassing the forward ends of both arms andof height greater than the clip when open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS109,563 Walton Nov. 20, 1870 297,665 Braam Apr. 29, 1884 490,806 GulickJan. 31, 1893 769,336 Cahn et a1. Sept. 6, 1904 1,965,151 Mueller July3, 1934 2,811,763 Jordan Nov. 5; 1957 2,835,952 Mininberg May 27, 19582,887,752 Maio May 26, 1959

